Sony HDR-HC1 is a HDV 1080i camcorder with 1 (one) 3 megapixel 4:3 CMOS sensor and sort of full manual controls.

Price da da da daaaa - <2.000 $ when it hit the stores in juli.

Camcorder Info has the story. www.camcorderinfo.com

The official press release is here: http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5930

And there will be a Sony PDX10-like pro edidion as well (3.500 $) in the fall.

The official press release for this edition is here: http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5925

Hopefully Canon has something in the pipeline ....

WOW! As a PDX10 user who loves the tiny form factor, that HVR-A1U "pro" model is making me drool! I can't afford one anytime soon, and obviously I'll want to see what its footage looks like (it's got to be better than a PDX10, simply because it's HD, right?) but I do think I know what I'll be starting to save my pennies for.

:-)

It does look cool, but I wouldn't automatically assume that it's "got to be better than the PDX-10". It certainly seems to have the same XLR box and mike. It appears to have a switchable focus/zoom ring. Other than that, the photos don't show much in the way of manual control. I hope they haven't gone the way of the HC-1000 and moved everything to the touch screen...

Well, that is certainly a good point. The camera could easily have been dumbed-down by SONY to a point that would render it useless for many people.

But I was speaking about the image quality, not functionality.

If I'm reading this correctly this is going to be a one chip camera.

Of all the things I could see Sony doing to dumb down the PDX10 this wasn't one of them. I hope it comes with 3 chips.

Wow, I was going to hold off on HDV, but this looks pretty hard to pass up. Come on Canon, don't make me buy a Sony!

I agree with Chris. Why one chip? Oh well, perhaps they have improved it to the point where it sill look as good as the FX1/Z1 but with fewer options. I doubt it though.

I agree with Chris. Why one chip? Oh well, perhaps they have improved it to the point where it sill look as good as the FX1/Z1 but with fewer options. I doubt it though.

Same here. If the pro version is $3,500--why wouldn't one just get the 3 chip FX-1 for around $3,000 and buy the XLR adapter?

Maybe the street price will be lower, say about $2500?

But I was speaking about the image quality, not functionality.

I still wouldn't assume that it has a better image than the PDX-10 just because it records HDV. Only one chip vs three. Higher pixel density CCD might be worse in low light. Doesn't say whether the camera has Optical Image Stabilization. True, the PDX-10 is standard definition but resolution isn't everything.

But who knows? It may very well be a terrific camera. My point was just that it's very premature to assume that "it's got to be better than the PDX-10."

The consumer version is supposed sell for 1,700 USD. It uses 3 MP CMOS. Sony makes CMOS for Nikon. The quality should be fine. Sony claimed 1080i is going to have 90% of HDV market.

This camera will make good second camera to FX/Z1. I'd like to buy one.

PS3 will have 1080p output.

This is year when HD will start seriously replacing SD.

Radek

I want one. This will be a great cam to use before the Panny hvx gets here. Plus Sony hopefully will be applying downward pricing pressure on Panny products.

Anyone know how big the lens is?

is here..

http://www.sonyhdvinfo.com/article.php?filename=Comparison-between-HDR-HC1-and-HDR-FX1

There seems to be a rather entertaining post missing.

I appreciate your evaluation of that missing post as "entertainment," in fact I found it entertaining as well, but our policy here at DV Info Net is that we don't allow trash-talking of any format, especially such highly opinionated garbage about equipment that the offending poster hasn't even seen or touched with his own hands. How one can evaluate something they have no direct experience with is simply beyond my ability to understand. I'd like to urge that person to find something that he likes and write positive things about that, instead of dwelling on negativity which is so poorly perceived anyway.

There are enough posts about these new camcorders that it might be time for their own dedicated forum now. Hope this helps,

Sorry Chris, but it did make me laugh. I will refrain from making such comments in the future. I understand the need for a little order and civility.

I am expecting that this camera will either be a serious disappointment, or will sell like crazy. It is impossible to tell what the picture will look like since it is a new chip and all. If the picture looks good, then this could be the real start of the revolution, and of not, then it could really hurt the growth of consumer HDV for a while.

Oh, believe me I was laughing during the entire five seconds it took to make that post go away. I suppose a valid criticism of how things are done around here is that I tend to be somewhat pragmatic about the overall flavor of this community. Some folks, like that poster, just don't seem to understand that this isn't "just another message board." DV Info Net is focused on usability. This really isn't the place to rant and rail about formats, because, what does that accomplish? Nothing. The format is here, so let's talk about using it. The HDV format apparantly isn't right for that guy, so he needs to get his head around it, find something else and move on. Talk positively about what you like. That can go somewhere. Somebody feels like they have to talk trash, I think that's a waste of time, but they're certainly welcome to do so... anywhere else but here.

Hope this helps,